Fernando Torres last night claimed he had advanced his career by joining "one of the top-level clubs in the world" after finalising his British transfer record £50m move from Liverpool to Chelsea.

The Spain international signed a five-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge last night worth £175,000 a week and revealed that discussions had been going on between the clubs for almost two weeks.

"I'm so, so happy and so, so proud to be here, finally, after these 12 days of conversations," said Torres on Chelsea TV. "But, at the end of the day, I can say I'm a Chelsea player and I'm really, really happy. This is the kind of team I like to play against because that motivates me, but it's the kind of team I want to play for. It's always very tough playing against Chelsea, it's one of the biggest teams in Europe, always fighting for everything.

"So, after this, there are no more steps forward. This is the top level. The target for every footballer is to try and play at one of the top-level clubs in the world, and I can do it now. I have to be very, very happy as I am. The last three or four days have been very hard for me, especially after everything I have lived in Liverpool.

"But, as I said before, I can say I'm a Chelsea player now. I'm really happy and I'm sure I am doing one big step forward in my career joining a club like Chelsea. This is a great club, a real responsibility and everyone is expecting great things about me and I'm prepared and ready for the challenge."

The Chelsea chairman, Bruce Buck, who also completed a £26.5m deal for Benfica's David Luiz, said: "This is a very significant day for Chelsea, capturing one of the best players in the world with his peak years ahead of him. We have long admired the talents of a player who is a proven goalscorer in English football and Fernando's arrival is a sign of our continuing high ambitions. I hope every Chelsea fan is as excited as I am with this news."